CrIsis Meet Greksis

I know Professor Malkin will end up with a copy of this missive and I wanted to address him briefly. Good Professor, as you are likely aware of my newly crafted immortality I wanted to apologize. I will put it forth in more detail below but I am now within the same classification as a faerie or even a dragon. This means I will never be able to set foot in the Library of Bletherad. Imagine my complete an utter surprise when it occured to me! It was pointed out to me by Misstress Acorn that my my soul had matched the power of the dark soul she could sense in the Rune Weapon we learned was call Yeremond the Life Stealer!

Xerx’ses, now you see what I have been trying to tell you! I may get more abilities based on this or some may change!?!? YOU ALTERED A RUNE WEAPON! This feat alone will make you famous, sought after, and hunted! I don’t know everything in store for us but you have deffinately ensured it will be epic!

Lots of changes as my dear friend, Callandor has pointed out. I know that while the magic does not stop Rune Weapons physically they become dormant in a similar fashion as a magic-dead area. I was so excited to use the ancient secrets I had uncovered thanks to how a mission I undertook showed me the key to figuring it out. I did not think all of the ramifications through clearly. Still, what is done is done, would be willing when we come back, err, may I help you with projects at your house?

Now back to your holiness, Pontiff, since I can visit you easier I have questions about my soul, immortality, how do I help serve the Church and the Gods of Light when this quest is over? Going forward because of those reasons I will be directing most of my logging missives to your holy and august person. Could you introduce me to the High Priest or Priestess of the Lawgiver upon Sekti-Abtu? I am hoping for someone to offer me spiritual advice that is not in the “thick of things” as it is with Father Indaris. If not the head priest maybe anyone that had been a wizard or other learned mystical science and then entered the clergy of light? Besides, Father Indaris has to be there for everyone else and I frankly don’t have normal concerns anymore. Part of me wants to seek out Dragons for advice, given how slow witted I can be. However, I think I would bore them quickly so I have not pursued it. Well, that and this holy quest kinda takes precedence over all my concerns. Hope that made you chuckle. Oh I almost forgot to thank you for the additional four warriors of the light you sent to aid us.

Hoomans cultures would say we were slaying evil but due the ability to sense evil of any kind from Callandor I know we murdered maybe 80 to 100 Giants that were not actually evil in their soul between the time this missive begins and ends. When I write stuff like this I know many are worried I am getting sad, but I can assure you I know the Giants may not have been evil but they are far from innocent.

It was several hours and just after highsun, we came upon a 100 foot high stone wall. This clearly signaled the new official border of the Kingdom of Giants! As we came up to the wall this is where we met up with Master Dirk, Ser Huro – Knight of Osiris, Master Pippin, Mistress Acon. Please don’t tell her I still call her “Acorn” because I think it is cute the way her nose crinkels in indignation. They are the perfect group to help us. How you say? We met them as they were discovered exploiting a hole in the giant wall be a patrol of the mutated giants. We made short < - - - I MADE A SHORT JOKE ABOUT GIANTS!!! HAHA!!! Hrrrmmmph, anyways, once that group was dispatched our expanded group made hasty introductions and I used Callandor's power to verify they we not evil. It was helpful actually to have Master No Name with us because I was able to show how Callandor’s detection of evil worked. I won’t clarify in the log because I am sure this can be embellished to something nicer by our esteemed bard, Rod Rambler.

What bothers me a bit is the swath of death we cut across the countryside in the Nimro Kingdom. I know I alluded to the amount of giants, trolls, orcs, and what not that we slew earlier in this missive. When you find out for certain that some of your enemies are not actually evil. Just patriots to their chosen homeland, well, it mutes any glory to be found in slaying monsters, and holy endeavors. I will say that nearly every non-giant we came across was indeed evil, and about two out of three of the giants we slew were indeed evil. Does that mean their would be a chance though of one day giants becoming like the minotaurs of my ‘tribe’, only time will tell?

At least once a day and twice for about seven days from the 2nd to the 16th did we battle to make clear the path our death’s toll would take us. Towards the twin fiery peaks in the very heart of this war forsaken land. Master Dirk I found out was low ranking member of the Legion of Northmoor! He didn’t even hide that he had been keeping our dear friend, Jidian Kulder, updated on meeting us. When he ran out of *pigeon scrolls* though I volunteered to help cast them. However, the member of their band I am most fond of is Ser Huro, the Knight of Osiris. This young Wolfen knight is a follower of the Lawgiver! It is so nice – if only for this advednture – to have someone of comparable size to chat with further. Now that I am immortal and don’t get sick naturally I suspect traveling to the cold north one day won’t be so bad. He ventures forth though with his hierloom Trident passed down in his family but nothing on his person is enchanted to aid in his quest. I knew I would have to remedy this.

The legendary Jidian Kulder has arrived after Father Indaris prayed for an ally to come and aid us! Today the patrol was over twenty Fire Giants, and clearly we were getting tired of murdering people to achieve our goals, especially after I made it clear that killing the patriot giants whom were non-evil would be like killing my tribe for defending itself! The good priest began to use a *Prayer of Fog* which obscure some 16 miles. Miles being a Dwarven measurement and not that odd Elven measurement system of meters, kilometers and such. You know, I didn’t write this before but the closest Master Kel-Ed and I ever came to blows? It was over which system of measurements was better. It’s funny to think of it now in a kingdom where the very air chokes you with soot and ash.

Please let me apologize to Dame Hannah, for not mentioning her arrival back when we met our newest companions on this trek! A fully accoladed Paladin of Timiro and wielding her (though a dagger to most) rune lance – Drogher! The reason I bring this up is that the Paladin on her falcon mount, Silky, and the other rangers went forth and hunt predatory beasts to replenish our food, they were most successful.

I was ablle, through my studies of history, to point out that Mount Nimro was the closer of the twin fire peaks, and by elimination that Mount Nimrod was the one just beyond it. Our group has been making it painfully obvious we were headed this way. Thanks to one Orc that got away from us in an earlier encounter. Today we ran across another large band of twenty Fire Giants and after we dropped the fog we overheard them mention that *”Crisssuss”* was to be found and brought before King Blackrock. They mentioned he needed to be informed and eight were dispatched to alert said king.

We tracked them through the fog thanks to *see aura spells*, and when they were far enough away from the other twelve we set upon them! I gave Huro a set of *spell crafted golden lightning spears* to use and he was able to huck all three golden hued lightning bolts and hit the first giant, slaying him outright! Jidian put forth the grand and glorius generosity of the Wolfen Empire by loosing, Lithos – the Rune Arrow, upon them as it transformed into a hail of stones!!! You know the story I want to hear about if I get the time is how Jidian snuck back onto the Isle of the Cyclops to get it back from when we were there in his last visit! Truly a legend! Then a volley of lightning arrows from those Jidian had gifted out among the group, my chain lightning that missed all but one, and only three stood still to face us! However, without the aid of my rune ring, Magos, I would not have been in range to hit the one I did. I then began casting while in full movement, Callandor was out in my right hand for defense and should I close to melee range.

I had finished weaving and even my darkest spells carry a golden aura about them! *Gold and black Deadly Trendrils* tore forth from my hand striking one of the three and killing it. The last two had a shocked look of horror before Jidian’s double shot sent them to the netherworld to meet their companion.

20th – The next day we were able to follow the giants trail and skirt Mount Nimro moving along our way to Mount Nimrod.

21st – I woke up Father Indaris, Commander Mack, Dame Hannah, Master No Name, Ursus, and our fellow companions rather excited! Everyone began readying for battle thinking we were under attack until I sat down and began praying!

“What are you doing?” This was nearly in unison from everyone. When I rather excitedly mentioned it was the holiday of the Lord of Wisdom the priest smiled and hugged my arm, and Master Dirk retorted, “Only a Minotaur gets excited about a holiday sitting in bettween two volcanos and behind enemy lines where everyone wants him dead!”

Everyone laughed then for a few minutes but I just nodded, sometimes I don’t get shortie hoomor.

26th – We avoided another battle this day with the fog but this time the giants called out our names! Trying to taunt someone with their name is a valid tool. Even though we did not take the bait all of us were shaken by the knowledge fame can sometimes suck, such a time was this.

We arrived at the foot of Mount Nimrod on the 27th and as though on cue the clouds parted and we could see the main path leading up the volcano from our hiding spot. It was heavily traveled and we all thanked thee gods for such a gift of insight. More checks with the Osiris’ Right Index Finger made it clear we were headed up this peak. We stayed for the day watching and making a plan of what to do. On the 28th I did ritual castings of *Animal Metamorphosis* into gecko lizards. I cast a number of temporary magic bags and most of everyone that was not Dame Hannah or Jidian became a small Gecko. I transformed into a Gryphon once more and flew in a circular pattern up and around to the northern face on a small out cropping.

Jidiian was called back just before this to the front lines of the conflict in the east, but without his aid getting here would have sucked mightily! Dame Hannah did our scouting and found magical protections in place. Using magic items and more of my spells Commander Mack was changed into a 30 foot behemoth of a Gekco and with Dame Hannah began a diversionary assault on one side. During his trek over the volcano 4 Trolls nearly found us, they had been hunting my Gryphon form it seems to capture, and likely eat me. I used my charge attack with wings out and knocked them all off the mountain to their deaths. The rest of us used the Loophole ring ( when the solarium reads this just contact me to get it back I didn’t know the fairy still had it) to sneak past the magical and psionic barries. I snuck a ‘note’ into Ser Huro’s bags and two items to help him. All of us changed back into our forrms on a bone wall Master No Name made to avoid traps before the door we entered. I am writing this here on the bone wall as they assault the armoy I can see through the door! Glory awaits Osiris as we go forth to complete my promise to Lady Isis.